Brother Lorenzo Snow spoke to us a short time; the rest preferred to look on. I expect they thought it was a queer spectacle to see a man trying to preach to a congregation such as I had. But a more attentive congregation I never saw, nor one that paid more respect to the speaker.
After the meeting was dismissed, the cases of healing to which I referred took place.
The Indians hurried me to the water, as there were so many that wanted to be baptized. I did not stop to visit with the brethren and sisters who came to see us, but went immediately to the river.
I baptized over three hundred before I came out of the water.
Among the number were several who were sick. Some had been sick for a long time, and all, without an exception, on being baptized for their health, were healed.
There was one man who had been sick a long time. He had been so bad that he was unable to walk a step for four or five months. It took three men to carry him into the water to be baptized. I baptized him for his health and for the remission of his sins, when he walked out of the river with one man walking on each side of him to steady him, and he got well immediately.
There were in this company of Indians, some eight or nine persons that were possessed of the evil one, or something of that kind. The first of these was a large, strong woman.
Now an Indian is no more afraid of water than a duck is; but when I raised this woman out of the water, she wilted and dropped on my arm, as lifeless, to all appearance, as if she had been dead a week.
The old chief was standing on the bank of the river, preaching to the Indians all the while I was baptizing. When he saw this, he shouted "one!" the second chief also shouted "one."
I did not know what this meant, but the old chief, noticing my embarrassment, said, "Do not be in a hurry, father, she will soon be all right."